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PROS

CONS

VERDICT

Don't be suckered by the Noir/Hard-boiled theme, Doug Brown is a lame duck that may have sounded strong on the concept table, but poor writing and execution make this a hard sell.

Full Review

App Store Info

If your day just isn't full of enough mini-games and you're not a fan of Noir-style movies or hard-boiled detective stories, then Doug Brown by Avallon Alliance might provide you with a brief moment of fun.

For some reason best left unasked, your day as a detective has taken a turn for the interesting and you are faced with a series of odd-ball mini-games connected by a loose narrative string to justify the 30 seconds or less it takes to complete each one. These games range from straight puzzles to basic action based sequences, though it's rare for any of it to make sense in context of what's supposed to be happening to Doug Brown the detective.

Perhaps it's just me, but just because something has a rough monotone theme, it doesn't mean it's 'Noir' nor does using schlocky language or jumping over spiked balls on a bridge make you 'Hard-boiled'. And for the love of all that is good and pure in the world, can developers stop using that same darn music loop for their games? It's lazy and worst of all it makes no sense being used here.

Doug Brown is an easy game to avoid and while it packs '24 unique mini games' the variety does nothing to stifle what is a fairly pointless adventure that lacks direction or focus in its efforts.

Description

My name is Doug Brown. I’m a private detective. You hire me when you don’t want publicity, going to the police isn’t possible, and your conscience can’t or won’t consider any other options. Today I got such a case – the phone rang, a voice told me where to go and what time to be there. But my gut tells me the rest of it isn’t going to be so easy.

Doug Brown for iPhone is a thrilling ride through gritty detective fiction. With only your trusty revolver and finely-honed wits, lead Detective Brown through an action-packed, nerve-wrenching tale of dirty dames, double-crosses and suspicious characters, all in search of the truth…